Edgar County, Illinois · Paris
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Edgar County averages 32 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 46% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Edgar County averages 8 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Edgar County gets about 8 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 85 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
21% of occupied homes in Edgar County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Illinois county median of 16.5%.
About 43 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
With 8,214 homes and around 16,535 residents, Edgar County is 623 square miles of eastern Illinois. Besides Paris, the county seat, the biggest communities are Chrisman, Kansas and Hume. The county's median home was built in 1964.
50/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Edgar County ranks 49 of 102 Illinois counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Edgar County ranks highest compared with other Illinois counties.
For frozen pipes, Edgar County is a typical Illinois county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 32 nights a year at or below 20°F (57th of 102) and 107 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -13°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 22 and the last spring freeze around Apr 21.
Rainfall is about average for Illinois. The county gets about 41.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 8 days of an inch or more (58th of 102). Those downpours cluster in March, June and July, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.27 inches on December 27, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.79 inches (through December 29, 2015).
About 85 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Illinois's 102 counties range widely in housing age; Edgar ranks 19th, with 76% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 46% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
9% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Illinois county median of 5.6%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
Beyond water
Edgar County averages 43 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Edgar County homes break down as 56% utility gas, 23% electric, 18% propane and 3% wood. Wood heat is above the Illinois norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Edgar County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Vermilion gets more pipe-freeze nights than Edgar. Vermilion County has the oldest housing nearby, with 79% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Edgar | Illinois median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 46% | 38% | 31 of 102 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 76% | 66% | 19 of 102 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 9.9% | 15% | 83 of 102 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.6% | 5.6% | 35 of 102 |
| Vacant homes | 7.9% | 11% | 79 of 102 |
| Wood or propane heat | 21% | 17% | 34 of 102 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 32/yr | 35/yr | 57 of 102 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8/yr | 8.4/yr | 58 of 102 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 85/yr | 81/yr | 31 of 102 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 43/yr | 51/yr | 67 of 102 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Illinois county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Edgar County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in March, June and July.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology